Installation for production of soft and washed-curd cheeses

ABSTRACT

Installation for production of soft and washed-curd cheeses, including a device for molding washed-curd, consisting of giant molds, each having the section of the final cheese product and capacity corresponding to a multiple of the final cheese volume, said molds being grouped in units; a drainer device including means for turning over the mold units by imparting to them a tilting motion, followed by a pendular one, to drive out the serum; and a device for cutting the molded curd taken out of the mold into slices to the final dimensions of the cheeses, including a cutting device equipped with means to adjust knife spacing in function of the length of the molded curd in order to obtain equal curd parts regardless of the length of molded curd.

Barhier et al.

INSTALLATION FOR PRODUCTION OF SOFT AND WASll-IED-CURD CHEESESInventors: Jean-Pierre Barbier; Jean-Pierre Feugnet, both of Retiers,France Assignee: Laiteries E. Bridel, Retiers, France Filed: Oct. 21,1971 Appl. N0.: 191,502

Related U.S. Application Data Division of Ser. No. 874,488, Nov. 6,1969, Pat. No. 3,756,238.

US. Cl. 31/46 llnt. Cl. A0lj 25/06 Field of Search 31/30, 25, 49;83/700, 620,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 537,226 4/1895 Ohl 31/492,884,694 5/1959 Hannon et a1. 31/30 Feb. 12, 1974 3,142,905 8/1964Strasbaugh ..3|/24 2,439,840 4/1948 Buroff Primary Examiner-j-Hugh R.Chamblee 57 ABSTRACT Installation for production of soft and washed-curdcheeses, including a device for molding washed-curd, consisting of giantmolds, each having the section of the final cheese product and capacitycorresponding to a multiple of the final cheese volume, said molds beinggrouped in units; a drainer device including means for turning over themold units by imparting to them a tilting motion, followed by a pendularone, to drive out the serum; and a device for cutting the molded curdtaken out of the mold into slices to the final dimensions of thecheeses, including a cutting device equipped with means to adjust knifespacing in function of the length of the molded curd in order to obtainequal curd parts regardless of the length of molded curd.

1 Claim, 8 Drawing Figures Patented Feb. 12, 1974 3,791,035

3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Patented Feb. 12, 1974 3,791,035

' 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 UOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU INSTALLATION FOR PRODUCTION OFSOFT AND WASHED-CURD CHEESES This application is a division ofapplication Ser. No. 874,488, filed Nov.- 6, 1969, now US. Pat. No.3,756,238.

The present invention concerns a new installation for producing soft andwashed-curd cheeses.

Until now, such production consisted of the following operations,performed in pans turning milk into rennet, curd slicing, serumextraction, washing of curd with water. The washed-curd is then placedinto individual molds and subjected to the usual operations of salting,ripening and packing.

Due to recent technological developments, the curd can now be washedadvantageously in large-capacity tanks and no longer in pans, but thisexcludes any possibility of adjusting cheese weight differences byweighing, since, at the time of molding, there exists a heteregenousmixture of curd and water. This also requires molding the whole tankcontent of washed curd at the same time. The use of a battery ofindividual molds is impracticable because of the enormous overalldimensions of such a battery and the large labor force required for itshandling.

The present invention permits these difficulties to be surmounted thanksto the use of giant molds grouped in units, in order to from, aftermolding and draining, molded curds that are then cut into slices to thefinal dimensions of the cheeses.

The installation for producing soft and washed-curd cheeses, accordingto the present invention, includes for this purpose a. a station formolding the washed-curd in giant molds, each having a capacitycorresponding to a multiple of the final cheese volume, grouped intounits;

b. a draining station for turning over the unit molds and ejecting theserum; and

c. a station for cutting the molded curd taken out of the molds intoslices to the final dimensions of the cheeses.

According to the first characteristic, the giant molds are of basicallyprismatic shape, open at both ends, their walls equipped withperforations for draining the serum and with visible ribs to maintain acertain spacing between the adjacent walls of the molds when they arearranged side by side, thus permitting the serum to flow out.

According to another characteristic, the molds are housed side by sidein a container equipped with a perforated bottom and with a movableperforated cover, said container supporting, in addition, on each of its2 opposite lateral faces a pair of turnover lugs located on either sideof the container median axis; the molds are supplied with washed curd bymeans of a distribution plate with drilled holes, each hole opening intoa mold.

According to still another characteristic, the drainage station forturning over the closed containers, in order to facilitateserumexudation, includes a frame along the uprights of whichslides amovable device driven by a motor reducer via a lift screw; said movabledevice supports, on the one hand, the U-shaped halfbearings supportingthe lower lugs of the container and, on the other hand, anotherpivot-mounted U-shaped half-bearing for the temporary support of theupper container lug; this part is made to pivot by a cam which, at thelimit of movable device rise, driven by a finger,

causes said half-bearing to pivot about its axis and free the upper lugof the container, which then tilts and turns over.

According to still another characteristic, the station for slicingmolded curd includes a) a movable cutting device acting in the verticalplane, b) a sliding table for positioning the molded curd under theknives and'for its ejection after slicing and c) a system for adjustingknife spacing in function of the length of molded curd to be sliced;said system includes a keyed shaft supported by the movable device anddriven by a motor reducer both in forward and reverse motion, said shaftdriving by means of its key, a spacing system of threaded rings and nutsintegral with the knife holder on which the knives and unclampingdevices are mounted.

The invention will be described in the following pages with referencesto the appended sketch on which FIG. 1 is elevation view of a moldaccording to the invention FIG. 2 is elevation view of the container;FIG. 2a, plan view of said container and FIG. 2b a detail of thiscontainer;

FIG. 3 is a view of the curd distribution plate FIG. 4 is elevation viewof the container turnover frame FIG. 5 is elevation view of the slicerand FIG. 5a a detail view of the knife spacing system.

As mentioned above, the installation according to the invention includesa molding station, a drainage station and a slicing station.

MOLDING STATION The washed-curd molding station includes giant molts 1(FIG. 1) made, for instance, out of polyethylene or another suitablematerial and having a capacity corresponding to a multiple of the finalcheese volume. Each mold is of parallelopipedal shape, open at bothends, its walls equipped with perforations 1a for draining the serum andwith longitudinal ribs lb to maintain a certain spacing between adjacentmold walls when they are arranged side by side, thus permitting theserum to flow out.

As non-limitative example, each mold has a capacity corresponding to 10cheeses and, for this purpose, it has the same section as the finalcheese but a height equal to ten times the said cheese.

These giant molds are housed side by side in containers (2) (FIG. 2,2a,2b), each consisting of a parallelepipedal metal frame with uprights 2a,longitudinal members 212, braces 2c, cross members 2d, perforated bottom2e and an equally perforated movable cover 2f for serum flow. Betweenthe bottom of the container and the molds and between the cover and themolds are interposed cheese-diary blinds to retain the curd. The coveris locked in place by a bolt 2g. In addition, each of the 2 side facesof the container is provided with a pair of turnover lugs 2h and 21',located on either side of the container median axis.

As a non-lirnitative example, each container can hold forty or so moldsaligned on two rows.

In operation, with the molds arranged side by side in the containers andtheir covers removed, the containers are placed side by side in a numbercorresponding to the quantity of curd to be molded; they are coveredwith a curd distribution plate 3 (FIG. 3), composed of a metal platedrilled with oblong holes 3a, each one opening into a mold, and the curdcontained in the washing tank is delivered on this curd distributor by asuction pump. A blind is placed on the molds filled with curd and thecovers are replaced.

DRAINING STATION The closed containers must be turned upside down tofacilitate serum exudation and, for that purpose, considering the weightof the container and of its contents of molds and of curd, the drainingstation according to the invention includes a turnover portal frame 4(FIG. 4) mounted on rollers 5. To this portal frame are fastened twovertical bars 6 forming a slideway on which slides a mobile device 7consisting of uprights 7a fastened to a horizontal beam 7a, said movabledevice being driven by a lift screw 8 of which the sheath 9 is integralwith the beam 7b; this screw is itself actuated by a motor reducer 10mounted on the horizontal beam 4a of portal frame 4.

The uprights 7a of the movable device have, in addition, fixed U-shapedhalf bearings 7d intended to support the lower lugs 2i of the containerand another U- shaped half bearing 11, pivot-mounted about a shaft 12and forming a temporary support for the upper lug 211 of the container.This part is made to pivot by a cam 13 integral with said shaft 12; onthe one hand, this cam is stressed by springs 14 which return itconstantly into the lowered position of half bearing 11; on the otherhand, it may be driven, at the limit of movable device rise, by a finger15 supported by a portal frame 4; said finger bearing against the camcauses it to pivot about its axis, as well as its half bearing 11 whichis integral with it.

In operation, with the containers 2 placed side by side, the portalframe is brought above the first container and the motor reducer 10 isput into operation. The screw 8, when rotating, makes the movable device7 slide from the bottom up. During this rise, the lower and upper lugs2h, 2i engage in the half bearings 7d and 11, and the container israised under the portal frame; at the end of the rise, finger 15 drivescam 13 and causes the upper half bearing ll to pivot. The latter freesthe upper lug 2 of the container during its retraction. The containertilts and turns over. This turningover motion is continued by a seriesof pendular motions, creating a centrifugal force hastening curd drying.Then the upside-down container is lowered and the following container isturned over.

CUTTING STATION After draining, the molds are taken out of thecontainer, the molded curd is taken out of the molds and is cut inslices to the dimensions of the final cheese product, the heights of themolded curd varying from one mold to another.

The cutting station is therefore equipped with a cutter provided with aspecial system intended to take up the length differences of molded curdand to cut each molded curd into equal parts regardless of its length.

For this purpose, the cutter includes a frame 16 (FIGS. 5 and 5a)supporting four vertical uprights l7 surmounted by a plate 18 serving assupport for cylinder 19.

On the uprights 17 slides a movable cutting device 20 driven by saidcylinder 19 and consisting of two pairs of slide rings 20a integral withan upper crosspiece 20b on which the cylinder piston rod acts; thisdevice supports a keyed divider shaft 21 driven by a forwardreversemotor reducer 22, said shaft driving, by means of its key 23, a spacingsystem with threaded rings 24 and nuts 25 made integral by screws 26with the knife holders 27 on which are mounted the knives 28 and theunclampers 29. Slideways (not shown) are provided to guide the knifeholders during their axial translation motion and to prevent them fromturning. The pitch of nuts 25 and rings 24 being identical, the knifespacing is thus constantly equal and the parts cut out from the samemolded curd are also equal.

The molded curd to be cut up is brought under the knives on a slidingtable 30 driven by a cylinder 31.

In operation, the molded curd to be cut is placed under the knives,action is exerted on motor reducer 22 to bring the last knife (to theleft of the sketch) to the limit of the molded curd and cylinder 19 isactuated to lower the movable device 20 and the knives 28 in order tocut the molded curd into equal parts.

The rise of the movable device 20 puts into motion cylinder 31, whichensures, by a single reciprocal motion of table 30, simultaneousejection of the cut-up molded curd and the placing of a new molded curdunder the knives.

The cut-up curd is then subjected to the conventional operations ofsalting, ripening and packing.

We claim:

1. Apparatus for cutting cheese products and the like comprising meansfor supporting at a cutting station the product to be cut, a pluralityof knife elements supported in spaced-apart relation along a path ofalignment overlying the cutting station, means for adjusting the spacingof said knife elements, and means for moving said knife elements inunison toward the cutting station to cut the product, said apparatusbeing further characterized by a frame element, a shaft rotatablymounted relatively said frame element, a plurality of spaced screwelements mounted on said shaft, said screw elements being mounted forrotation with said shaft and for longitudinal sliding movement relativeto said shaft, a plurality of spaced nut elements mounted forlongitudinal sliding movement relative to said shaft, each of said nutelements mounting a knife, means defining an operable connection betweenpairs of screw elements and nut elements such that each pair of screwand nut elements are longitudinally translatable along said shaft,whereby rotation of said shaft varies the longitudinal spacing betweensaid nut elements and the knives associated therewith.

1. Apparatus for cutting cheese products and the like comprising meansfor supporting at a cutting station the product to be cut, a pluralityof knife elements supported in spaced-apart relation along a path ofalignment overlying the cutting station, means for adjusting the spacingof said knife elements, and means for moving said knife elements inunison toward the cutting station to cut the product, said apparatusbeing further characterized by a frame element, a shaft rotatablymounted relatively said frame element, a plurality of spaced screwelements mounted on said shaft, said screw elements being mounted forrotation with said shaft and for longitudinal sliding movement relativeto said shaft, a plurality of spaced nut elements mounted forlongitudinal sliding movement relative to said shaft, each of said nutelements mounting a knife, means defining an operable connection betweenpairs of screw elements and nut elements such that each pair of screwand nut elements are longitudinally translatable along said shaft,whereby rotation of said shaft varies the longitudinal spacing betweensaid nut elements and the knives associated therewith.